OPEN: I love to sing, and one of my favorite Hymns is “Oh How I love Jesus”.
Sing it with me now if you would:
1. There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.
CHORUS: O, how I love Jesus, O, how I love Jesus,
O, how I love Jesus; because He first loved me.
2. It tells me of a Savior’s love, Who died to set me free;
It tells me of His precious blood, the sinner’s perfect plea.
(pause) Oh – how I love Jesus.
That’s why we’re here isn’t it?
We love Jesus and so we come to church.
But Jesus seems to IMPLY in John 14 that that’s not always going to be true. NOT everybody who says they love Jesus really loves Jesus because many don’t accept what He commands.
ILLUS Just as an example: back in the 1990’s – during riots in Los Angeles – a radio reporter broadcast an interview he had had with one of the looters. The man had just stepped out of a record store carrying a number cassette tapes he decided he wanted.
When asked what he had stolen, the man replied, "Gospel tapes. I love Jesus."
Now, did that man really love Jesus?
No, of course not.
But he had convinced himself that he really did.
How do I know this man didn’t love Jesus?
Because he was stealing from someone to satisfy his own desires. He wasn’t obeying Jesus, he was just obeying his own selfishness.
Not everyone who says they love Jesus really loves Him… or really wants to listen to Him.
ILLUS: A Barna study in 2009 found that – of those Americans who SAID they were believers:
· 34% believed that the Bible was NOT accurate in all it teaches.
· 40% believed that ALL religions teach equally valid truths.
· 55% say that if a person is generally good or does enough good things for others they will EARN A PLACE in heaven.
· 34% believe that there are some sins that even God cannot forgive.
· 44% believe that Jesus committed sins while on earth.
· 40% believe that after he was crucified, Jesus did not physically return to life.
Many of the folks in that survey weren’t really listening to Jesus were they?
Their answers reflect they hadn’t been listening to Jesus very closely.
Much of what they said they believed was pure heresy.
Now their answers might not keep them out of heaven… BUT it does serve to point out that too many people don’t seem to be paying attention to Jesus. They don’t love Jesus enough to really know what He says/commands.
Not everyone who says they love Jesus actually does.
And there are too many of people - in churches across the land - that don’t pay attention to Him.
Jesus said:
"If you love me, you will obey what I command….
"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching…” John 14:15 & 23
Well I want to love Jesus.
I don’t want Him upset with me.
I want to do what is pleasing to Him.
So - If it’s so important that I obey Him - and that’s the measure of my love - how am I going to know what He wants me to know? Where would I look to find that out? (Bible)
That’s right I would look in the Bible.
The Apostle Peter wrote: we ought“ Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” 1 Peter 2:2
Peter is saying that I should do more than just read the God’s Word.
I need to CRAVE it like a little baby craves milk.
ILLUS: You ever seen a baby who wants its milk?
What does a baby do if it can’t get its milk?
It cries… and it cries… and it cries.
How long does that baby cry?
It cries until it gets that milk.
That little baby WILL NOT GIVE UP until it has received its bottle
That is how much you and I need to want to read God’s Word
Back in the Old Testament – one of the greatest kings that ever lived wrote these words:
“How I LONG for your precepts!” Psalm 119:40
“Your statutes are MY DELIGHT; they are my counselors.” Psalm 119:24
“Your decrees are THE THEME OF MY SONG wherever I lodge.” Psalm 119:54
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are MY DELIGHT.” Psalm 119:143
What was King David saying?
He was saying – I crave God’s Word like a baby craves its milk.
I LONG for it.
I DELIGHT in it.
It’s the very theme of my song.
David knew that when everything else in life turned south – God’s Word wouldn’t. God’s Word would always be so reliable it would always be his strength in times of trouble. It would offer Him comfort and guidance he needed. God’s statues were his counselors.
David could say that because he didn’t just read the thing… he literally drank down God’s word. He talked about mediating upon God’s word day and night
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it ALL DAY long.” Psalm 119:97
And even when the day was done, he says
“My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.” Psalm 119:148
Notice two things:
First he read it… then he meditated on it - all day and most of the night.
He read the passages, set aside his “Bible” and went about his daily agenda. But all the time he was out at his job (or doing other things) David thinking about what he’d read - running it again and again through his mind. And he did this ALL day, and much of the night.
2ndly - that which he meditated on were… God’s promises.
ILLUS: Years ago, I had some problems at another congregation. Things were difficult and there were people doing everything they could to destroy my character. At that point in my ministry, another preacher shared a couple of Bible passages with me.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Psalm 91:14-16
(the other passage was Isaiah 41:10-13)
I meditated on the promises I read. I read them over and over and over again. It was like a life preserver someone had thrown out to me. If found my delight in God’s pledge – that in trouble He’d be there for me.
ILLUS: Now, I didn’t always crave God’s Word.
Back when I was a freshman at Purdue University, I sat down with God and I was honest with Him. I said: “God I don’t really want to read that book. Everybody tells me it’s a boring book. I don’t want to read that thing. But I want to be a preacher some day… so I’ve got to!!!”
So I made a deal with God.
I laid the Bible on my desk. And I got a Bible dictionary and a commentary and put them where I could find them. And I told God I’d read everything but the poetry/prophecy/who begat whos (because those were likely the most boring passages I’d run into) BUT I would only read when I felt like it. If I didn’t feel like reading I wouldn’t… but I would make a good faith effort
And you know what happened?
I began to read the Bible for the very first time for myself.
It wasn’t my mother reading to me/ father/ preacher/ Sunday School teacher.
This was me – reading God’s Word for myself
And what I found was that God’s Word was interesting.
In fact, it was so interesting I could hardly put it down sometimes.
I began to CRAVE God’s Word like a little baby craves its milk.
Over the years I’ve been intrigued by the Bible’s stories.
I’ve been led by its advice.
I’ve been comforted by it’s promises.
But of all the promises found in the Bible the greatest promises in Scripture is this: Jesus died for my sins. God so loved YOU… and He so loved ME that He gave His only begotten Son…
And where do I find out about Jesus? (John 3:16)
And where would I find John 3:16? (The Bible)
How do I know that God loved me this much?
Only in the Bible
I don’t find this promise in other religions.
Other religions tell me – I’m ON MY OWN
Other religions tell me God is up there and I’m down here… and that’s the way it’s going to be all day long. If I’m going to even come close to something they might call heaven it’s up to ME. If I don’t DO enough good works I’m toast.
In those religions – their god doesn’t really care for them…He just sits in judgment.
BUT the Bible says: God loved me this much = He gave me Jesus.
It’s in the Bible that I learn that I learn THAT.
And it’s in the Bible that I learn…
· WHO Jesus is
· WHAT He came to do
· and WHAT He wants us to do for Him.
I’m NOT going to find that information ANYWHERE else.
So – a person who says they love Jesus will crave God’s word like a baby wants its milk because that’s where they’ll find out about Jesus for themselves.
And nothing else will satisfy.
People who love Jesus will read the Bible throughout the week.
I’ve found a group that sends me a Bible email everyday (from heartlight.org). And I’ve got a Bible program on my cell phone that sends me a Bible verse every day (called “DailyBible”).And I read those verses and try to see how they might apply to my life.
And, guess what, we have a similar deal right here at church: it’s called Sunday School. It’s a place where you can come and learn about who Jesus is and what He wants of you. Then we have numerous Midweek Bible Studies, and there’s even a men’s prayer breakfasts on Saturdays.
You have all kinds of avenues to satisfy your craving for God’s Word that leads to knowing how to love Jesus more and better.
OK, so if I love Jesus I’m going to crave God’s word/ I’m going to read it/ meditate on it, and I’m going to listen to it and obey it - because every word of that Bible tells me something about what Jesus wants me to do.
But how will I know if that I’m really getting something out of this Bible?
How will I know that once I’ve read the Bible – I have really obeyed Him?
Well, as you might expect, Jesus has an answer for that.: Jesus said
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples (all men will know that you’re listening to me – all men will know that you’re obeying me), if you love one another." John 13:35
What’s that mean?
Who’s the ONE ANOTHER Jesus is talking about?
Well, Jesus is talking about loving other Christians.
Now, that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be loving other people outside of Church, but what He’s saying is – if I love Him… I’ll love you.
Now this has a two-fold application.
1st – Jesus expects me to love you as a church.
Ephesians 5:25 tells “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”
Jesus loves the church.
It’s His bride.
He died for her.
He came to establish His church for us.
ILLUS: I worked at the voting polls this past Tuesday, and while I was there I had a conversation with a man who wanted to talk about Jesus. He went on and on about what he believed about Jesus/God/ other doctrines and some of what he said was ok… and some was a little off the mark.
As the conversation continued I asked him where he went to church.
He said he didn’t.
And as we talked I realized there was a reason he didn’t go. He was more concerned with his opinions than he was with people.The reason he didn’t go to church was that nobody was going to agree with everything he believed… and if you didn’t agree with everything he believed then you weren’t worthy of his presence.
Now – did that man love Jesus?
No. He didn’t love Jesus, because he didn’t love Christ’s bride. He didn’t love the church – he just loved opinions and he was determined to be a church of ONE: Me, myself and I were the only members. He was deceiving himself – but he wasn’t deceiving God. He didn’t realize he couldn’t quit God’s church and still be acceptable to God.
So first – to love one another means I’m committed to loving His bride/ the Church.
2ndly – loving one another means – I have to love you as individuals.
Now that sound good in theory, but it’s not always easy in practice.
One poet put it this way:
“To dwell ABOVE with saints we love,
That will be grace and glory.
But to live below with saints we know;
That’s quite another story!”
One of the difficult things about being part of a church is that we’re all sinners
We all mess up somewhere along the line.
Thus we’re likely to rub each other the wrong way sometimes.
We’ll upset one another, anger one another, get mad at one another.
Now – if I want to “love one another” the way Jesus wants me to, how am I going to resolve those kinds of problems? Well, as you might expect, Jesus even has a solution for that dilemma:
Jesus said:
"… if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24
So, if you’ve sinned against someone you are to go to them.
In another place Jesus said:
"If YOUR BROTHER SINS AGAINST YOU, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.” Matthew 18:15
So, if someone else has sinned against you, you are to go to them.
So if you’ve sinned against someone … what are you supposed to do?
GO TO THEM
If your brother has sinned against you… what are you supposed to do?
GO TO THEM
In other words – it doesn’t make any difference who offended who - YOU are to go and set things right.
How many of you agree with Jesus on this?
How many of you think that’s what we should do?
Well good.
Because you all agree with Jesus, and you all think this is something you and I ought to do, I’m going to ask you to make a vow with me this morning. A vow is a very serious thing. God regards a vow as the most critical promise you can ever make and He gets very angry if we make a vow and go back on it.
The vow I’m going to ask you to make this morning is this:
If you get angry with the preacher, Sunday School Teacher, Elder, or just the person sitting next to you in the pew – you PROMISE you won’t talk about them behind their back. You will go to them and do everything in your power to restore a loving relationship with them.
If you are prepared to take this vow, I want to stand where you are.
(once they stood) Realize that I’m going to hold you to that vow.
You may all be seated.
One last thing: loving one another means having one another’s backs.
· When I first hired on here I told the Elders that – unless there was moral or doctrinal reason why I shouldn’t - I would back them in their decisions. In return I told them I expected the same respect for me.
· When we hired our part time children’s minister, our part time youth minister, and our part time young adult minister I told each of them that the Elders and I would protect them and their ministries. Unless there is a moral or doctrinal problem we have their backs. And we expect them to treat each other the same way.
· And that is our pledge to you as well. As the leaders of this congregation the Elders and I intend to protect you and guard you to the best of our ability.
· And of course we expect you to show that same courtesy to each other. If you are out in the community and you hear someone spreading gossip or maligning the character of someone within this congregation – you stand up for your sister and brother in Christ. This doesn’t mean you should defend immorality or heresy on anyone’s part, but most of the time that isn’t what is at stake.
ILLUS: Years ago I was talking with a person who began to say some particularly nasty things about someone I’d been friends with years before. I turned to that gossip and said “The person you’re speaking of was a friend of mine and you will not speak of them that way in my presence. If you insist on continuing in this fashion then I’m leaving.”
There are times we Christians need to take that same stand when it comes to listening to gossip about brothers and sisters in Christ.
We need commit ourselves to these things because – if we love Jesus - we will obey Him/ we’ll do what He commands. And Jesus said “Love one another”. When we do that, the world will know that WE are His disciples because we love one another.
